Life

Back in Kona, Where the Second Time's a Charm

With some big life changes behind her, Kirsten McCay is ready to tackle the Big Island with a fresh outlook.

by Courtney Johnson

In 2014, Kirsten McCay qualified for the IRONMAN World Championship when almost half of her age group didn't finish at IRONMAN Lake Tahoe due to the cold. She took her spot, but the 44-year-old doubted whether she truly earned it fairly. Once in Kona, the Fort Collins resident didn't feel like she deserved to be there—an attitude that she says "bled into race day." She felt out of her league on her road bike, battling the crosswinds of Hawaii during the 112 mile bike ride, her weakest discipline.

The race affected her so much that she took the next year completely off the bike to focus on the run, a project that involved racing 15 marathons. After that year, she decided she wanted to return to Kona and bought her first triathlon bike.

Vowing that she would never return to the race unless she was mentally and physically fit enough to qualify (and enjoy the experience), McCay made it a goal to get back to the Big Island after moving to the next age group. As someone who suffered from eating disorders as a youth, she realized that her on-course performance wasn't just about her weight. She adopted a fully vegan diet and began to work towards a healthier outlook on weight, training, and racing.

"I was getting faster and more confident and wanted to prove to myself I could qualify again," the club and middle school swim coach said. "I knew I had a better chance when I aged up, so I made a two-year plan to race Boulder in 2016 to get experience, cut 30 minutes off my time, and place in the top 10."

"Triathlon training...was a constant in my unpredictable life and kept me sane and grounded and focused on a task."

Even though her training and now 100 percent vegan diet were on track, her husband and her were growing apart after 21 years of of marriage. "I wanted our divorce to be amicable, and I thought leaving him everything would help with that," said the nutrition company rep. "I didn't want it to drag on, so I just packed up my personal belongings and left."

McCay spent a good part of the spring sleeping in her car with her dogs or "couch surfing" as she calls it. In mid May, she rented a place. "A month before IRONMAN Boulder, I rented a place to keep my dogs so I could do my long rides and runs," she said. "Triathlon training was the main thing that got me through [the divorce]. It was a constant in my unpredictable life and kept me sane and grounded and focused on a task."

After 19 years of training and racing, McCay is now self coached and training by feel. "I love high mileage for my sanity, so I do a lot of recovery swims and rides. I am still improving, learning, and becoming a better athlete all the time. My motto is fall down seven times, get up eight."

She hit the start line at IRONMAN Boulder this year feeling confident that her focused dedication to the sport would get her to Kona again. Smith finished in 10:55:25, winning the 45-49 age group and qualifying for Kona.

"Winning my age group in Boulder was incredible," she said. "I had visualized it 100 times leading up to the race but was still blown away when I realized I had won."

While many might feel that qualifying for Kona would be the hardest part of the journey, for McCay it has been staying focused on training while adjusting to her new life and coming up with the means to make it to the Big Island. Through it all, her family and friends have been her rock. "Ask for help!" she says. "Turn to your friends and family. They want to help you. They want to see you succeed."

One such friend set up a Gofundme campaign to help McCay with her race costs. "I never felt scared or nervous or alone," she said. "I had friends who told me if I ever felt unsafe sleeping in my car in any city to call them and they would book me a hotel. I also have amazing friends who have helped me financially whether it was buying my dinner one night or buying me a new wetsuit when mine got lost at IRONMAN 70.3 St. George only five weeks before Boulder."

McCay's goals for race day in Hawaii are really quite simple: "I want to have a positive experience. I would love to get around 12 hours, [but] I want to finish knowing I gave it all I had on that day."

While triathlon will continue to be a staple in her life after Kona, she will also continue to offer tips on healthy living on social media and her website, Foodfitnessfinancefun.com. "Believe in yourself, love yourself more, be selfish and work everyday toward the life you want," she says. "Be brave and don't live your life for anyone or by anyone else's standards. Be you!"

Courtney Johnson is a freelance writer and athlete who lives in Boulder, Colorado.